An Evaluation of SeaWiFS Derived Chlorophyll Concentration in Massachusetts Bay
Abstract
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) has constructed a 9.5 mile outfall to discharge secondary treated wastewater into Massachusetts Bay. The impact of this discharge has been studied by an extensive water-quality monitoring program that includes monthly and seasonal, nearfield and farfield surveys conducted on research vessels, as well as satellite measurements of Sea Surface temperature and chlorophyll concentrations. We have used the shipboard measurements of chlorophyll concentrations to evaluate 4 chlorophyll algorithms including OC4, the current operational SeaWiFS algorithm. We will present the results of this analysis along with a description of seasonal and interannual variability in Massachusetts Bay. We will also present the comparison of three years of SeaWiFS data (Sept. 1997-Sept. 2000) from before the outfall was turned on to one year of SeaWiFS data (Sept. 2000 - Oct. 2001) after the outfall went operational and discuss its possible impact on the ecosystem of Massachusetts Bay.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001AGUFMOS51E..07M
- Keywords:
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- 4223 Descriptive and regional oceanography;
- 4275 Remote sensing and electromagnetic processes (0689);
- 4552 Ocean optics;
- 4801 Aerosols (0305)